Basic theory and practice of retention and peak shapes in LC

Speaker: Torgny Fornstedt, Robert Arnell, Jörgen Samuelsson

A course for those with basic and practical knowledge concerning HPLC

- Introduction (45 min)
- Efficiency & Resolution (15 min)
- Break (15 min)
- Thermodynamics & Kinetics (45 min)
- Break (15 min)
- Case studies (35 min)
- Summary (10 min)

The aim of the course is to provide the chromatographer with a deeper understanding of the separation process from a theoretical point of view. We will discuss the fundamentals of the mass transfer processes, thermodynamics and kinetics in chromatography; the underlying phenomena that may cause poor chromatograms. The first hour will cover the basic definitions such as retention, adsorption, peak asymmetry, peak efficiency, peak resolution and calculations of the contribution of dead volumes on the peak width. In the second hour we will discuss and distinguish thermodynamic and kinetics effects on the peak shapes. The third hour will be a case study section involving exercises and discussions.

At the end of the course the delegates will be offered access to an efficient computer program - including an instructive manual - for numerical simulation of the processes discussed.